Charging-machine for furnaces



(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. F. LUNDAHL.

CHARGING MACHINE FOR FURNACES. No. 479,437. Patented July 26, 1892.

WITNESSES.

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J. P. LUNDAHL. CHARGING MACHINE FOR FURNACES.

No. 479,437. Patented July 26, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEIcE.

JOHAN FRITHIOF LUNDAHL, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

CHARGING-MACHINE FOR FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,437, dated July 26,1892. Application filed September 1'7, 1891. Serial No. 405,956- (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHAN FRITHIOF LUN- DAHL, of Homestead, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Charging- Machines for Furnaces, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description The object of myinvention is to provide means for charging furnaces-such as openhearthfurnaces-with their stock of metal, 850., and it is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the apparatus in sideelevation, partly in vertical central section. Fig. 2 is a partial frontview of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, 2 represents the carriage or frame of theapparatus. It comprises trucks whose wheels 1 are mounted on rails 5, sothat the carriage may be moved laterally in front of the doors of aseries of open-hearth furnaces 6. The carriage is provided with a cradleor box support 7, adapted to receive and hold a box 8, which containsthe furnace-charge, and to be projected by suitable means, so as toadvance the box within the door of the furnace, and when in suchposition to upturn the same and to distribute the charge upon thehearth.

The mechanism by which the box-support is projected and rotated may besubstantially the same in construction as illustrated in the priorpatent of P. T. Berg, No. 432,593, dated July 22, 1890, the descriptionof which need not now be repeated.

9 is a steam-engine, which is mounted on the carriage 2 and ismechanically connected with the driving-wheels thereof, so that onoperating the engine the carriage is caused to traverse in front of thefurnaces, as above described. Supported at the front end of the carriage2 is an upright structure or frame composed of posts 10, on which arefixed upright stationary plungers 11. Hydraulic cylinders 12 are set insuitable vertical slideways on this frame and are set on the plungers,so that on admission of water to the cylinders they can be caused tomove vertically on the plungers. In order to insure uniformity of actionof these cylinders, I provide them with racks 13, in gear withgear-wheels 15 on a connecting cross-shaft 14..

16 is a track or platform, which is suspended by struts 17 from themovable cylinders 12,and 18 are trolley-wheels mounted on the platform16 so as to be movable longitudinally thereon and carrying tongs 19,adapted to grasp charging-boxes and to remove them from or deliver themto the box-support 7.

In order to operate the cylinders 12, I em ploy a water forcing cylinder20, whose plunger 21 is actuated by a suitable steamcylinder 22. Onoperating the cylinder 22, so as to project its plunger, water is forcedfrom the cylinder 20 through the pipe 23 into the cylinders 12, so as toelevate the latter, together with the frame 16 and the trolley and tongscarried thereby. On reversing the cylinder 22 the water is exhaustedfrom the cylinders 12,which thereupon descend by gravity.

Between the front of the carriage 2 and the line of furnaces is a track24, on which are mounted cars for carrying the charging-boxes 8 intoposition in front of the furnaces.

The operation is as follows: In order to charge a furnace, the carriage2 is moved so as to bring the box-support opposite to the furnace door.The cylinders 12 are then dropped, so as to lower the tongs 19 into suchposition that one of them can seize a box. The cylinders 12 are thenraised, so as to lift the platform 16 and to raise the box from the car.The trolleyjsfthen moved along the platform, so as to bring the boxdirectly above the boxsupport, and the platform is lowered to depositthe box within the same. The tongs are then released and may be movedback to grasp another box, and after the box has been introduced intothe-furnace, discharged, and withdrawn the other tongs may be moved upto seize and remove the empty box. By means of this apparatus I amenabled to perform the work of charging the furnace very rapidly andwith little manual labor.

WVithout limiting myself to the precise construction herein describedand shown, I claim- 1. In a charging apparatus for furnaces, thecombination of a carrier movable in front of the furnace or furnaces, abox-support carried thereby, means for feeding the box-support forward,a platform mounted on the carrier and extending longitudinally in frontof the furnace or furnaces, means for moving the platform vertically,and carrying devices too mounted on the platform and adapted to deliverthe charge to the box-support, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

2. In charging apparatus for furnaces, the combination of a carriermovable in front of the furnace or furnaces, a box-support carriedthereby, means for feeding the box-support forward,a lifting-cylinderand plunger mou nted on the carrier, and carrying devices upheld abovethe box-support by the cylinder and plunger and extending substantiallyparallel with the furnace or furnaces, snbstan tially as and for thepurposes described.

3. In charging apparatus for furnaces, the combination of a carriermovable in front of the furnace or furnaces, a box-support carriedthereby, means for feeding the box-support forward, a platform mountedon an upright frame on the carrier and extending longitudinally of thefurnace or furnaces, means for moving the platform vertically, andcarrying devices mounted on the platform and adapted to deliver thecharge to the box-support, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

4. In charging. apparatus for furnaces, the combination of a carriermovable in front of the furnace or furnaces, a box-support carriedthereby, means for feeding the box-support forward, motors, comprisingcylinders and plungers, upheld by the carrier, supporting devicesconnected with said motors and movable vertically thereby, and gearingconnecting the movable elements of the motors and causing them to movein unison, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In charging apparatus for furnaces, the combination of a carriermovable in. front of the furnace or furnaces, a box-support carriedthereby, means for feeding the box-support forward, a platform mountedon the carrier, means for moving the platform vertically, and carryingdevices suspended from trolleys which are mounted on and are movable onthe platform above the box-support, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day ofSeptember, A. D.

J OI-IAN FRITHIOF LUNDAHL. Witnesses:

W. H. CORBETT, H. H. HERVEY.

